A fit and healthy 35-year-old woman experienced a sudden cardiac arrest during a gym boot camp, leading to a 17-minute period of clinical death and an extraordinary medical journey that culminated in a life-saving heart transplant.
A Sudden Collapse and a Chilling Out-of-Body Experience
Victoria Thomas, an accountant and avid netball player from Gloucester, was participating in a strenuous gym session when she felt her energy drain away. She told a friend she felt powerless and dizzy moments before collapsing onto the floor.
Paramedics arrived swiftly and began CPR, but Victoria showed no response. During this time, she recalls a vivid out-of-body experience. "It went black and there was nothing, then I became aware of looking down on my body," she said. "I was floating near the roof... I didn't see a light, or feel peaceful, I was just watching myself."
Miraculously, after 17 minutes of continuous resuscitation efforts, her heart began beating again. She was rushed to Bristol Royal Infirmary, where she spent three days in a coma.
A Shocking Diagnosis and a Miracle Pregnancy
Fitted with a defibrillator, Victoria returned to her life, but her heart stopped multiple times in the following months, with the device shocking it back into rhythm each time. The cause remained a mystery until February 2021, when she discovered she was pregnant.
The pregnancy put immense strain on her heart, triggering more frequent cardiac arrests. At 24 weeks pregnant, specialists delivered a devastating diagnosis: Danon disease. This exceptionally rare genetic disorder, caused by a defect in the LAMP 2 gene, has an average life expectancy of just 24 years for women.
"When I read the letter... I was 24 weeks pregnant with Tommy and I was so shocked, I couldn't take it in," Victoria recounted. After an emergency caesarean at 30 weeks, her son Tommy was born healthy and later tested negative for the disease.
End-Stage Failure and the Gift of a Second Chance
The pregnancy had caused further severe damage to Victoria's heart. By the time Tommy was six months old, she was struggling to breathe. In April 2022, tests revealed her heart was functioning at only 11%, indicating end-stage heart failure. Doctors gave her just months to live.
Placed on the urgent transplant list, Victoria endured the agony of two potential donor hearts being found unsuitable. "I'd given up all hope," she admitted. Finally, in April 2023, a match was found. She underwent a successful transplant at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham and was discharged home the following May.
Now 41, Victoria has made a remarkable recovery. She plays netball four times a week and has been selected to represent the British transplant team in volleyball and basketball at the upcoming World Transplant Games in Germany.
"I feel like I've been given a second chance at life, and to be a mum," she said. "It's the greatest gift I could ever have asked for." She remains profoundly grateful to her donor's family for their courageous decision.
